The Absurd Case of Trills, Padfoot and Moony: 2000 (Sequel!)
by Gloryofluv
Summary: The lone wolf dies while the pack survives. The start of the year 2000 has brought plenty of happiness to our marauders and Hermione over the last few months, but how long will it last? Loved ones found/enemies brought forth. Not to mention a whole mess of trying to figure out their relationship for the long run while still participating in the life around them. Let the chaos begin
1. Chapter 1

**_PROLOGUE_**

She felt the hot prod of the spell radiating through her body and making her scream, but her mind went white with pain. The witch did not have an answer for them and even if she did, she still wouldn't give it to them. The curse subsided, and she was splayed, gasping on the floor, part of her wishing for death at this point.

"Tell us how you did it and it will all be over," The stern voice ordered, and she pressed her fingers to the stone.

"Fuck you," Hermione spat and there was a menacing chuckling heard throughout the room.

"I always love a witch who plays hard to get…" the sickly sadistic voice cooed.

She knew the hooded captors by name. Hermione could describe their faces to the minute amount of details. The three of them stood around her with wands out in their classic death eater garbs. Hermione knew the odds of her making it out of this place were slim, but all the while she couldn't help but hope that her marauders did not have to endure her fate for much longer.

"So, can I just slice her to bits slowly then? I have been meaning to cut that cursed ring finger off and take them for myself. Pretty little jewels." The female snickered and held a silver dagger in her free hand.

"Not yet, I have a feeling she will see it our way soon enough. Chain her up and find the boy… I want to see her scream as we cut out his eyes." The gravelly voice announced, and Hermione tried to climb off the floor.

"You will not touch my son!" the young witch howled as bindings curled tightly around her body.

One of the figures ducked down to her level and took her chin roughly in his hands, "What does a pretty little mudblood like you do to deserve that type of authority? Do you hide treasure in your clothing that they traveled all this way through time for you? No timeturner to be found. No magics of any sort that we could even find… tell me, do you think I won't pry it from your sweet little mouth before I kill you?"

Her eyes grew cold and narrow, "You can try, Dolohov, but I cannot give you an answer I do not know." She finished by spitting on his mask.

He tossed her roughly to the floor and erected himself, "Have the mutts in back shag her in the arse if she keeps it up. I have a child to go fetch."

"Don't you touch him, Dolohov! I will kill you myself if you harm him!" Hermione screamed after the man's back as he started to leave the room.

"I look forward to seeing you beg later, mudblood," he said with an amused chuckle and left her to her captors.

"Crucio!" she heard before the white-hot pain erupted inside of her again for another round of torture.

Her mind was flat-lining… she couldn't believe her stupid luck that she for the second time in two years would suffer a pain worse than death. Her last thoughts were of her marauders and Teddy as her body gave in and passed out.

 ** _First comes love, then comes… an odd engagement with two marauders?_**

Hermione was rubbing her temples in annoyance of her mountain of work she had. It all waited for her patiently over the weekend and even the glint of her rings did not bring her solace. Tilting her head to the side in thought she felt the unusual pull of them as they teemed with curiosity. It was a new feeling they had taken to since their employment at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. It had been a few months of them working and she started to feel a bit dejected by their new-found freedom that she was not a part of.

"Miss Granger, care to take a lunch before the minister will meet with you?" Percy asked and Hermione sighed and nodded.

They usually had a meeting biweekly to discuss her new bills, but this was different. "Certainly, Mr. Weasley, I will return shortly."

The young witch packed up her things and shuffled from her office, but knew of only one place she wanted to be. Her feet led her down to Diagon Alley and she shuffled through the crowd with a single goal in mind. Approaching the building, she paused and straightened her simple suit before entering the shop and taking in the scene before her.

"I told you it would work!" Sirius shouted in victory as small wispy dragons floated around the room.

"Can you imagine the sort of trouble this could get a student in at Hogwarts?" Remus mused and held up the small red item.

George saw her first and waved, "Fancy seeing a Ministry witch in here!"

The marauders stopped and grinned stupidly at their fiancé, "Trills!" Sirius exclaimed and nearly toppled a display of love potions to reach her.

He enveloped her in an embrace and kissed her deeply, "I love when you have time to see us during the day," he whispered against her cheek and she giggled.

Remus waited patiently and handed the small egg to George when she pulled from Sirius, "What gives us the pleasure of your company today?" the werewolf inquired, and Hermione beamed.

The female animagus kissed him and sighed, "Other than missing you beyond the norm? I had some free time to have lunch if you both wanted."

Sirius did not give her or Remus time to answer, "We are taking lunch, Georgie!" he shouted and tugged them both out of the shop in a haphazard fashion. "Come on! We need to relish these moments."

The werewolf rolled his eyes, but he radiated relief and happiness as she walked in between both of them, tucked against them closely. They had their fair share of looks from others in Diagon Alley when they traveled all together, so it made the Marauders a bit nervous, but Hermione could care less. She was used to being looked at and admired after the war ended, but this was a different type this time.

"Enjoying your weekly war against the unjust?" Remus asked, and Hermione groaned.

"I have been fighting the good fight as ever. Kingsley told me it will take a bit more support to pass my next bill and amendment, but he is working tirelessly on it as well."

Sirius tugged a loose strand of hair from her cheek and smirked, "We never expect less from you. Always so incredibly dedicated."

"It's disgusting, she even expects to marry both…" an older witch hissed loudly to the wizard next to her as they passed them, and Remus instantly grew deflated.

Hermione glanced back at the elderly couple and cocked her head in puzzlement, "Is it just my paranoia, or are people acutely aware of our engagement?"

Sirius scanned the nearby crowd and found indeed that they were being gawked at more than usual. "Did someone announce us in the paper?"

When they walked inside the Leaky Cauldron, Hannah smiled and waved, "Hermione! It is so nice to see you and your fiancés."

The young witch blushed and thinned her lips before answering, "When did you find out?"

Hannah walked them over to a table and seemed very confused by her question, "Well, didn't you tell Rita Skeeter about your engagement? She wrote a piece about you today. I would think twice than to speaking to her again, she made you sound… greedy."

There were a couple of patrons that took glances at them at the table and Hermione folded her arms, "I never spoke to that woman. Can I get the paper to see this article?"

Hannah blushed but went to retrieve a copy of the Daily Prophet from Tom near the entrance. When she placed the paper down on the appropriate page, Sirius cleared his throat and spoke, "Well, can we get a spot of tea while Hermione contemplates how to skin a reporter?"

The other witch nodded and left them alone to read the column. It was the highs and lows of Hermione's dating life since arriving on the scene of the wizarding world. Her heartbreak about Harry's rejection and taking matters into her own hands by dating his best friend. A woman of such scorn as to deny rejection outright and bring two young men back from the past so she could seek the Black fortune and marry into the pureblood house.

Not being outdone, Hermione was also being accused of pinning the wizards against each other, so they would both agree to marry her to spite the social ramifications of using an ancient law to protect her from justice. Rita Skeeter blathered on to speak about the distaste of the young witch and her more than distrusting personality that created this mess…

Hermione was seething! "How dare her! Is she lacking in that much material that she needs to write about me again?"

Sirius was sneering at the pages, "You mean to tell me she has done this before to you? All of these things are purely false."

Remus shoved the paper aside and leaned over to look at them both, "It doesn't matter. It is obvious that she is reaching for a juicy story that does not exist so don't worry. We have done nothing wrong."

Hermione groaned and shook her head, "It is disgusting that she thinks she can still get away with this type of gossip writing and pass it off for news."

The male animagus rubbed her back and kissed her cheek, "Moony is right, we just ignore this ridiculous piece and go about our business. No need to explain ourselves to anyone."

The witch pondered a moment and scrunched her face in thought, "I am curious to find out how she came to such conclusions about you both. The ministry kept your reoccurrence a pretty tight-lipped affair. I am not quite sure how she could have come up with me retrieving you from the past."

Sirius tapped the table and shrugged his shoulders as Hannah set down their tea, "That is an easy question to answer. Rita was just in here the other day speaking to Ron Weasley over drinks. He was quite sloshed, and she did not help his case by buying him more as they spoke."

Hermione let out a large sigh, "Ron… I wish your habits did not always seem to cause me more discomfort…"

"We will have the specials, Miss Abbott," Remus told her, and she excused herself quickly.

"Well… I was contemplating what to give him for his birthday. I suppose a bloody fist to the jaw would work well," Sirius growled, and Hermione patted his arm.

"Don't blame the twit for getting pissed and talking. I just wish he knew that Rita was looking for a juicy story to tell."

"Never a sharp one, that Weasley boy," Remus grumbled and dressed his tea.

Hermione exhaled and rolled her neck, "Well, we will just have to avoid the crowds for a bit."

"I don't mind placing a bit of overtime in the bedroom," Sirius snickered with a grin.

Hermione giggled softly and shook her head, "Always the bad boy, Pads."

"Like you expected any different, Trills." Remus retorted with a smirk and she kissed each of their cheeks.

"I am thankful for you, my marauders," Hermione whispered and they smiled brightly.

"We are more than just thankful... we are absolutely elated that you chose us." Sirius declared with a nod and Remus chuckled.

"Well, elated is a decent word, but does not quite sum up our love for you, Hermione."

She kissed both their hands and felt anger completely diminished, "I couldn't agree more."

"Does that mean we can play hooky from work?" Sirius inquired with a wolfish grin.

Remus rolled his eyes and groaned, "Not at this rate, Padfoot."

Hermione laughed and shook her head,"At least not today, Sirius. Let's have a bite and we can meet at home tonight to see just how much we can continue this love fest." She replied, and they enjoyed the rest of their lunch together.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione, unfortunately, grew extremely busy at work at the sudden news of a department change for her. It appeared that Kingsley thought her talents were of better use in the Laws and Regulations side of the Auror department. It wouldn't be for another week after her final bill would be voted on, but paperwork of a different beast swarmed her desk. It was well after her shift by the time she was packing up to go home.

She ached, and a decent part of her just wanted to slump into a bathtub and not think for awhile. The witch knew that her job wasn't particularly hard, but it was the brain work that seemed always to get her. When she finally stepped through the fireplace at 12 Grimmauld Place that she felt any relief from the fast-moving tides of her evening.

The Marauders were sitting at the table and speaking about their day. They were not quite aware of their spy as Hermione cleared her feelings, so she could enjoy snooping. "Do you think she is alright? She seemed almost distracted by that awful article," Sirius grumbled to Remus before sipping his glass.

Remus shrugged his shoulders and sighed, "We just need to make sure that she doesn't let it get to her. I am hoping she knows it doesn't matter to us."

Sirius pushed his glass from hand to hand in thought, "I suppose…"

"Don't worry, my darlings, a simple article isn't going to stop me from loving you," Hermione finally made herself known as she walked to the sitting marauders.

The male animagus smirked and tilted his head, "Hello, love, how was work?"

"It was long… I am getting a promotion of sorts." Hermione murmured and strolled over to Remus. "I am touched you both were concerned, but I am not going anywhere."

Sirius raised an eyebrow in amusement, "promotion?"

She finished doting on the werewolf and leaned against Sirius, running her fingers through his hair. "Yes, Kingsley feels that my talents would be better suited in working with laws and regulations for muggle and muggleborn law enhancements."

Amazement washed over the marauders as they took in the vision of their work worn witch. She slid into an empty chair and ran fingertips over the grains in the wood. It was a moment that there was so much to say and somehow everything would remain wordless as they expressed their shock and awe in the feelings that were second nature.

"Does that mean more work for you then?" Remus finally expressed after a minute or two of silence.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head, "Probably not as much as I do now. A bigger department would handle quite a bit of the blunt end."

The male animagus grimaced slightly and scratched his chin, "At least you will be working with Harry a bit. I am sure he won't let you work yourself to the bone."

Remus made a gesture of agreement and slid her a cup of tea across the table, "Well, I don't see room for complaint there. We were just speaking about how pleasant it would be if you worked with Harry."

Hermione raised an eyebrow as she responded, "You mean how much it would relieve you from seeing the way people reacted to the article today?"

Sirius made a face and spoke directly, "Yes, that is what we mean. As peaceful as it seems to be after the war subsided, it seems there is also still a stigma of the- unusual."

"I am fine, marauders. No one is going to curse or hex me because I choose to sleep with two different wizards at the same time. In fact, I know half a dozen people at least with – loose ideals. I am just a bit more loyal to mine."

The men glanced at each other and still visibly seemed unconvinced by it. "We will not push, but it is a bit concerning. George decided to send a nasty surprise to Rita Skeeter because of her soured writing. It seems he agrees with us on swift action." Sirius declared with a nod, but Hermione groaned.

"Don't give her any more fuel for the fire."

Remus chuckled and gave her a nod, "We promise, no more. I suppose that anger did indeed get the best of us today."

The witch was going to reply before a wispy stag came running into view. _"Hermione, I am headed over right now… I have news."_ Harry's voice sounded, and she gasped.

"News at this hour? Either someone has died, or someone is going to have a baby." The witch announced and stood up.

The fireplace soon went off, and Harry entered the room with Ginny in tow, "Good, I am glad you are home. We need to talk," Harry muttered, and Hermione scowled at him.

"What is wrong?"

The gangly wizard awkwardly shuffled his feet and scowled, "I don't know how to say this without sounding like a wanker… but I pulled strings and got the Ministry in Australia to discreetly search for-"

He did not finish because Hermione covered her mouth which held in her scream. The Marauders went from alarmed to a notch closer to manic by her shock and befuddlement. "You found them?" her voice was soft and broken with emotion.

Harry thinned his lips while running a hand through his hair, "I did, Hermione. I found your parents."

The witch felt light-headed, and if it wasn't for the hands that took in her shoulders, she might have fallen over, "Breathe, Trills." Sirius whispered and smiled over at Harry.

"I cannot tell if she is excited or frightened," Ginny voiced, and Remus chuckled.

"She is excited… wordless which is a rarity for her," the werewolf reassured the Potters and Hermione walked over and embraced them tightly.

"I love you both so much, thank you," her speech crackled with emotion, but her affection told them everything they needed to know.

"We were able to reverse the effects of the memory charm, but they are overwhelmed. They planned to move back to London soon and asked if you were doing well at school. I made sure not to delve too much so that you could explain the last two years of your life to them yourself." Harry finished, and Hermione pulled away.

It was as if someone had dumped freezing water on her and the Marauders felt it clear as day; Hermione realized she was going to have to explain this. She was engaged to two men; it wasn't a forethought before then, but now, it was a delicate thing indeed.

"Oh, thank you," she murmured, and Ginny frowned at her.

"Don't think about that yet, Hermione. You still have a long way to go until you must explain your personal life. I know that look better than anyone else here." The redhead retorted, and Hermione chanced a look back at her marauders.

They seemed confused and a bit uneasy by this new update, "Did you want some tea?" Remus offered Harry and Ginny.

Ginny yanked Hermione over to an empty chair and sat next to her as she spoke, "Yes, we are going to have some tea and spend some time talking about things that do not pertain to a certain article or telling her parents about you both."

Hermione groaned and rolled her eyes, "We aren't worried about Rita Skeeter, Gin. She is a menace to the wizarding world, but hardly anything but a flea."

Harry was pouring himself a drink, "She is absolutely mental if she thinks people would take her seriously."

Sirius handed Hermione her abandoned teacup and responded, "She seems to be the kind of woman you do not trust with a secret. Blow it out of proportion for a front-page exclusive."

Harry sat down next to the marauders and gave them an expression of agreement, "We are not by any means strangers to how that shady slag works."

"All of this news in one day. Never a dull moment," Hermione grumbled then sipped her tea.

Ginny was giggling and dressing her cup as she spoke, "Well, Harry did start the evening by telling me about your transfer to Law and Regulations. It is nice that you, Harry and Ron will all be working together again."

Remus made a face and shook his head, "I still am not fond of him. I can tolerate him now, but not sure where he stands in all of this."

"It is not his fault that he cannot hold his drink, Moony. Rita took advantage of that," Hermione replied, and Ginny snorted.

"Not hard to do that these days. He is supposed to be responsible."

"We have been friends for years, and if there is one thing Ron Weasley falls short on, it is his headstrong nature. I love the sod as much as a brother, but he does have a tendency to grow shortsighted," Harry sighed heavily and swigged the brandy in his glass.

"My favorite lovable idiot," Sirius mocked and rolled his eyes.

"He is not an idiot, just not as thoughtful as most, Pads," Hermione murmured, and Ginny patted her friend's shoulder.

"You don't need to defend him, Mione. We all know he isn't all that bad, just a bit careless and stubborn."

"And a wanker if you don't remember the stag party…" Sirius grumbled, and a rose an eyebrow.

Hermione knew that he had horrible judgment. That was what made Ronald Weasley different from her marauders. She also knew that he had a nasty jealous streak and a potent attitude, but she could not let him be the blame of this article. Things were just now starting to feel regular when they would go to the Burrow for dinners. Ron was dating witches more than for one night and seemed to be moving on with his life. She was happy for him and wanted things to keep going on an upswing.

"People just need room to grow is all I am interjecting," Hermione finally decided on, and Harry smiled.

"They do, and support from friends means more than anything. I would have never made it through Hogwarts without him and Hermione." Harry responded, and Sirius chuckled.

"I wish we could have seen it; it would have been plenty of fun from what George was saying. We could have all ran the school as much as Moony and I did with Prongs back in our time." Sirius said with a bright smile, and Hermione leaned to Ginny.

"Did you ever think we would be this chaotically happy?" she asked the redhead who laughed and hugged her.

"No, I thought you were going to end up with my brother, and I was going to watch Harry marry Cho."

Harry turned red, and Remus tilted his head over at the Potter, "He was seeing another witch before you?"

"Oh, don't go into that, Ginny. It is embarrassing…"

Hermione smirked and folded her arms, "Did you say your first kiss was her crying under a mistletoe?"

Harry groaned loudly and rubbed his face, "Please, I am appealing to your better nature not to fuel their fire. When we all drink together, I will never hear the end of it."

"So, does that mean that you were an awful snogger or that she was just into a tearful goodbye?" Sirius snickered, and Harry shoved him.

The witches laughed, and Hermione shook her head, "It was unfortunate for him. She was still very much mourning Cedric, and he had crushed on her for ages."

"Well, at least she could speak English," Harry spat and rolled his eyes.

Hermione turned pink, and Ginny nudged her lightly, "That's right. Viktor was more an action type anyway."

The marauders mirrored feelings of jealous trickles that made Hermione that much more interested in dropping the conversation. "Well, that doesn't matter now, does it?"

"I suppose not. I am married to the love of my life, and you are engaged to my godfather and our ex-professor."

Hermione now was the color of cherries as she cleared her throat, "Well, of sorts."

Sirius waggled his eyebrows and smirked at Remus, "Somehow when he puts it like that it comes off a bit dirty doesn't it?"

Remus gave him a nod, "Yes, from now on I think Professor Lupin sounds appropriate."

Ginny was practically rolling from her chair, "Oh! Please tell me she calls you that while you are shagging."

Hermione glared at the witch next to her, "Traitor. No, I do not refer to him as such… that would be wrong."

Sirius leaned over the table and snickered, "Trills, if you did indeed call him Professor Lupin then I would not object to Lord Black."

Ginny did end up toppling to the floor, and Hermione pressed her forehead to the table, "I cannot believe we are discussing this even in jest."

"I can, after all, Padfoot is here," Remus retorted, and Harry chuckled and patted the male animagus on the back. "Why are you the lord and I am just a professor?" Remus questioned, and Sirius shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, you can teach, and I can… well, do what I do best," Sirius answered with a wide grin, and the table erupted in hilarity, leaving the bushy-haired witch to sit in mortification.

Ginny managed to sit still in her chair and consoled the female animagus, "It is alright, Hermione. It isn't like it is a secret that you shag them for their looks."

Remus and Sirius stopped their laughter and scowled in equal measure, "I wouldn't say just our looks." Sirius said with knitted eyebrows.

"Occasionally Remus keeps me company," Hermione sighed and rested her chin on her hands with a small smile.

"Absolute ballocks, Trills. You love me," Sirius retorted, and she gave him a motion of agreement.

"Most likely. I did agree to marry you."

Ginny drummed on the table lightly with her fingers, "So, have we decided when we are planning this unique affair? Mum is getting quite twitchy with all the planning she wants to do."

Hermione chewed her lips before responding, "Well, considering that I want to wait until after things have settled at work, it might be quite a bit longer than expected."

"She says that like she did not already plan for an extended engagement. I will let you in on the skinny of it, Ginevra. Your friend here, she wants to wait until she is ready for children." Remus finished with a smirk, and Hermione huffed.

"It is appropriate to wait a length of time, Remus Lupin. Doubly so if I am to marry you both." She said with a nod, but her smile and feelings gave off her happy jitters she felt when they talked about their future.

"Well, it may not be on paper, but you are marrying us both, Trills. So, wait as long as you need to because we are not going anywhere." Sirius declared with a nod and Harry folded his arms.

"I still ask myself how something so mental had happened and it seems so commonplace now."

Hermione gave a noncommittal shrug, "It is as unusual as our adventures have been, Harry. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me either," Harry slung his arms over the Marauders, "It makes everything that happened seem that much more worth it."

Ginny gave an agreeing gesture and sipped her tea before speaking, "Also, I don't think anyone else would be able to marry Hermione and make her happy."

"That is very true," Sirius voiced and reached for Hermione's hand.

"She is our Trills, after all," Remus replied, and she blew him a kiss.

"I love you both, and I am sure my parents will love you too."

Ginny and Harry caught the looks of uncertainty on the Marauders' faces and silently had to agree. It was one thing to adjust to missing out on two years of your daughter's life. It was another thing entirely to watch her end up with two men. The Potters would not speak about their trepidation to the whole idea until later. For now, they were going to enjoy the marauders and their friend's company so they could leave behind the uncomfortable memories of the day and doubts of a smooth sailing future.


	3. Chapter 3

Sirius was stretched out over the werewolf and grumbling in his half-asleep state, "Moony, why does she have to work a normal job?" the animagus groaned.

The werewolf raised an eyebrow and peered out threw his eyelashes at his bedmate, "Because our witch is stubborn and insane, but we love her."

"We should just make her pop out a kid and then she will have to stay home."

Remus shoved him off and flopped over, pressing his face to the pillows, "Shut it, Pads. We cannot just ask her to have a baby. How irresponsible are you?"

"You are right; we would have to give up tons more time to another kid. I love Teddy, but when he is home we cannot shag her until she is crying from pleasure."

The werewolf was minorly irritated with the complaints of Sirius today. He was still trying to figure out how to explain everything to her parents when they came back to London. Sirius could sense his aggravation and let the conversation go. "How do we ask for her hand from her father without sounding like a couple of greedy wankers?" Remus murmured and glanced over at the dark-haired wizard.

"We don't; he will have to accept that she fell in love with both of us."

"Not the smartest of plans, but a good last resort. She will want his respect for her decisions about as much as her support from her mother." The werewolf finished, and Sirius stretched.

"Well, we have some time yet, so we will decide before then."

Remus made a face as he glanced over at the animagus, "Sirius, what if she decides we aren't what she wants…"

Sirius snagged him in his arms and hugged tightly, "Don't be a big baby, Moony."

The marauders lounged for a bit longer before yanking themselves out of bed. It was always entertaining for them at George's store, so neither really complained to go to work. However, there was a bit of reluctance in the air today. Not to head to work, but the distracting idea that they were going to have another family to impress, explain to and hopefully get approval from.

Hermione's parents were dentists. They were muggles, and they wouldn't even have a thread of understanding toward their arrangement… werewolves weren't real. That was what Remus kept trying to go over in his head while George was throwing wispy pixies into the air.

"Why not just tell them the truth? She fell in love with you both, and now you are all going to get married." George grumbled after the shop was empty.

Sirius held out his hand to the Weasley, "See, the voice of reason."

The bell above the door rang, and they turned to see Harry enter, "Hello, marauders plus one. How are we doing today after the news?"

George chuckled and shook his head, "They are quite flustered. How are you wandering the streets at this early hour, Harry?"

The gangly wizard shrugged his shoulders and sighed, "I had the time to pop out for a quick walk and decided to come here. I do, however have another reason for my visitation." Harry paused as he closed the gap. "I wanted to ask you both something…" he trailed off and thinned his lips.

Sirius made a face and scratched his chin, "What's wrong, are you going to ask us to hold off on our engagement?"

Remus paled and stared at Harry with wide eyes, "They aren't going to suffer her conflict because of us are they?"

Harry shook his head and waved it off, "No, nothing like that. I was going to see if you would help them move their furniture. Obviously, no magic, but it might make a great statement. I didn't tell Hermione that I forewarned them that she was living with some old friends."

Sirius raised an eyebrow and pointed at him, "You said, friends? No boyfriends or fiancés?"

Harry blushed and cleared his throat, "Not my business to explain your relationship… but Mr. Granger is nice, and I am sure a bit of impressing would help the situation."

Remus rubbed his face and before tossing his head about, "And what if the Grangers decide that we are the bane of the Earth, Harry?"

Harry shrugged and sighed, "I know that Hermione already mentioned werewolves and other oddities to her parents. Her mother fainted when she heard about her daughter's third-year experience… I am quite sure they will be intrigued to meet more magical people."

"And when are we supposed to volunteer our services to said future in-laws?"

"Five days from now. I wanted to wait to tell Hermione as a surprise."

Sirius snorted and shook his head, "Let's give her plenty of surprises."

Remus rolled his eyes, and Harry glanced at them, "What's wrong?"

"Padfoot is flustered because Hermione has been working so much."

"I am not the only one… grumpy git," Sirius grumbled and shoved Remus lightly.

George smirked and nodded, pointing at both of them behind their backs, "Both have almost been intolerable the last week."

Harry patted their shoulders and huffed, "Marauders, you are marrying Hermione Granger. You need to keep your patience because she isn't about to give up a career for anyone. No one knows this better than her family... she has a taste for achievement."

Sirius groaned and tossed his head back, "I have more wealth than to house a score of children and their children's children… I don't see why she cannot just…" he trailed off as he saw the eyes of the wizards around him glaring, "Oh, alright, but at least work less!"

"Hermione is the last witch ever to be a kept woman, Sirius. Best get used to being the fan club if you are indeed going to marry her." George affirmed, and the animagus sighed and slumped against Remus.

"We will be fine, we just had a rough full moon," Remus sighed and ruffled Sirius's wavy hair. "Trills decided to play hard to get."

George leaned over the two marauders and smirked, "She has always been a tease."

Sirius rolled his eyes, but his lips were in a curve, "Fantastic and mythical is our Hermione."

"Well, enjoy your day, I will see you boys Saturday to help the Grangers move into their flat." Harry declared as he gave them a nod.

They all bid him farewell and got back to work, but the nagging fear of acceptance was building; they had five days to decide how to appeal to her parents.

0o0o

The week flew by and the marauders still did not have anything solid as they stood outside a building on the outskirts of London. Sirius was wearing a Rolling Stones t-shirt and Remus in a shirt that had an arrow pointed toward his mate saying, "I'm with stupid," which gave the werewolf immense pleasure from it. The animagus didn't realize what Remus was wearing until they had left.

"You had to make this a competition, Moony?" Sirius growled as he took a drag on his cigarette.

He smirked over at his friend, "Of course. You already look better than me… I need to even the playing field a bit."

Sirius waved him off and continued to smoke as the gangly Potter showed up and snickered, "You marauders look worse for wear. You nervous to meet your in-laws?"

Remus rolled his eyes and ran a few fingers through his well-kept beard, "If you had asked us this morning we would have thrown things at you. We are going just to be our…" he trailed off and glared over at Sirius, "Charming selves. Charming, Pads. I know you can muster up enough to not embarrass yourself."

Harry stifled a laugh and shook his head, "The benefit is neither of you have met them. So just be polite and try not to say anything improper. They are nice folks."

There was the usual sound of a truck down the street and Remus gulped lightly as it came into view. It wasn't very large, but the meaning behind it was more pivotal. Sirius threw out his cigarette and stomped on it before standing next to Harry. "Do you think they will care that we are shagging their daughter?" It was a comical question, but Sirius looked stern.

"How about you don't tell them that in first meeting."

Sirius gave Harry a bob of his head and looked visibly shaken, "We could always say that Moony is her boyfriend, so I don't have to be so twitchy."

"Shove it, Pads. We have and always will do this together. Don't tap out on me on account of rain." Remus hissed as the truck coughed and turned off.

A woman appeared first who looked like their Trills. She had curly hair and dressed in jeans with a green t-shirt. She was older, but seemed to cling to the better portion of her youth. The woman glanced around and saw the young men shuffled together. Her eyes wandered to Harry and her smile brightened.

"Harry, I would recognize that hair anywhere." She spoke and walked over to the group. "Winston, come have a look, Harry is all grown up."

The man with light sandy hair rounded the truck with a smile and waved, "Harry, it is so nice to see you again! Who are your friends?"

"We are friends of your daughter. My name is Remus Lupin," Remus murmured and shook their hands.

"I am Sirius Black," the animagus echoed the same unsure tone.

Sirius felt so uncomfortable that he snagged Remus under his arm and smiled, "My name is Melissa Granger, and this is my husband, Winston Granger… but I am sure you knew that if you are friends with Hermione."

Remus nodded and spoke, "Well, we have been friends with her for quite some time."

Harry knew that wasn't quite a lie, but it wasn't quite the truth either, "So, shall we get to it?"

All in all, the Grangers did not have too much to bring up the stairs to their flat. It took the three young men a bit over a couple of hours to get it inside and help put together the table and bed for them. Melissa found her kettle and Harry offered a few cups that they did not ask where he got them.

Harry had bought them some groceries before they arrived in case they wanted just to stay home and unpack today, so the tea was easily dressed as they all sat at the table together. Remus and Sirius were leaning close to each other to play from each other's confidence.

"So, boys, how long have you both… you know, been together?" Melissa inquired with a sheepish smile.

The marauders glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders, "Since school, I suppose. We have always been best mates," Sirius announced and Harry blushed and cleared his throat.

"I think she is asking how long you two have been dating," Harry announced and raised an eyebrow.

Remus frowned and went to retort, "We aren't-" Sirius placed a hand over his mouth and smirked over at Mrs. Granger.

"He doesn't like to admit he is in love with me. He has been for years," Sirius told her with a chuckle.

Mr. Granger scowled and raised an eyebrow, "You two are… really together?"

Remus shoved Sirius off him and shook his head, "No, we are not, Mr. Granger. Sirius has a problem with uncomfortable conversation."

"You know that it always had been you, Remus. You had me at hello." Sirius snickered, and Harry groaned.

"I did not let you watch films at my house with my wife so you would quote them, Sirius," Harry grumbled as Sirius ruffled Remus's hair.

"You both live with my daughter?" Winston asked, and the marauders looked over at him with wide eyes.

"Yes, Sir," Sirius smiled as he was trying to recover from the abrupt question.

Melissa scrunched her face and tilted her head, "Remus, did your father work at the school you all went to? I vaguely remember Hermione speaking about a Professor with your last name. Not many Lupins in your world, correct?"

Harry paled and cleared his throat, "No, not many Lupins, but our Professor was not his father or any older relation."

The Grangers gave each other an odd look and Melissa raised an eyebrow, "Is this a magical… situation? Or do wizards and witches not age?"

Harry cleared his throat and rubbed his face, "Well, to make this easier they traveled from their time forward. Hermione and I had an older version of Remus as a professor."

Winston leaned forward, his expression was dangerous, "Is that common?"

"Not at all. In fact, I have never read about our situation in any texts," Remus murmured, and Mrs. Granger stifled a laugh.

"You sound just like our Hermione," she told him, and the werewolf smirked.

"We have that in common. It is unnerving for Sirius occasionally because we debate about magical theory quite heavily if we are in the mood."

Sirius groaned and nodded, "It is like watching two polite people out doing each other. Not as entertaining as it sounds, I assure you."

Mr. Granger glanced between the two marauders and back to Harry, "Did she know both of your older selves?" He addressed them with a pointed stare.

They nodded, and Remus patted Sirius's arm, "We are lucky for that really. She helped us get settled in this time after we found there was no way to get back."

Melissa cleared her throat making her husband look at her, "We are relieved she has such close friends."

Winston's expression contorted and Remus could smell his irritation, "They are living with her."

Mrs. Granger tilted her head as her lips thinned, "She is fairly capable of taking care of herself, love."

The three younger men at the table shrunk a bit at the brewing underlined argument. Sirius gave Remus a look, and the werewolf's eyes widened. Remus shook his head lightly, and Sirius smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Just to clear it up, she is engaged to Remus," Sirius said sternly, and Remus groaned, covering his face.

The parents stopped, and Winston furrowed his brow dangerously tight, "Engaged? As she plans to spend the rest of her life with you?"

"Sirius is never great at social mannerisms. What he is trying to say is-" Harry interrupted Remus with a sharp kick into the werewolf's calf.

"They got engaged three months ago," Harry muttered, and Melissa clapped and smiled.

"That is fantastic news!" She declared, and Sirius tucked Remus under his arm.

"It is, and we couldn't be happier," Sirius responded, but Winston did not seem to be convinced.

"So, Sirius… you live with them?"

The animagus gave a nod, and Remus smirked nudging him, "Don't be so modest! You are joining us in our engagement as well," the werewolf smirked, and everyone grew quiet.

Mrs. Granger shifted in her seat and sipped her tea before answering, "Both of you gentlemen are… you are going to be with our daughter?" She was speaking carefully as Winston was scowling.

"Tell me why? Hermione Granger would not agree with such an absurd thing." The father was a sliver away from an outburst and Remus could see he made a huge mistake.

Sirius chewed the inside of his cheek before speaking, "Well, Remus is a werewolf. I have been a part of his pack since school due to a skill of magic I have. Hermione has accomplished the same level of magic, and it all speaks well together."

Winston set down his teacup and folded his arms, "No."

"No?" Harry's voice was shaky.

"I said no. I don't accept this absolutely absurd joke," he snapped, and Melissa was trying to recover.

"What he is trying to say is we don't understand this situation. Hermione surely understands what she is doing. Right, Winston? We know our daughter to be sound enough to make up these decisions."

"Of course, we don't understand, Mel! These two… boys are trying to say they both want to be polygamists with our daughter!"

Remus inhaled heavily and nodded, "It sounds mental, we both know that. To anyone it does, outside of our family. Hermione is our family, whether she marries us or not. I am not begging for your acceptance, we are telling you in light of being truthful and forthcoming."

"You wanted to speak to us about this without her," Mr. Granger pointed out, and Sirius gave him a nod.

"Of course, because we love her enough to know that if she heard that, it would tear her apart."

Mrs. Granger sipped her tea before speaking, "Do you cherish her for her heart and mind?"

The Marauders nodded together, and Winston scowled, "It isn't right."

"We know that, but sometimes things don't have to be to love someone," Sirius retorted, and the room grew thick with silence.

"Well, that is quite the concept," Melissa murmured, and her husband glared at her.

"You cannot be serious," he growled, and his wife smiled gently.

"Of course, because we both know how our daughter is, Winston. If she wants something, she will very well take it all."

"I need answers, now," he demanded, and Remus gestured agreement.

"Ask away; we are more than willing to prove ourselves."

The day was growing and the conversation took a turn from difficult to near impossible quickly. Sirius and Remus had the agonizing difficulty of convincing her parents that they weren't going to be damaging. Harry moderated as best as he could, but knew that they were ultimately on their own with this task; a long day in London.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione was holding on to the little boy as they sat in the garden. They were visiting Andromeda and Teddy today before seeing her parents. The witch was very nervous; no that was an understatement. She was going mental at the idea that she was going with her two fiancés to see them.

"Flowers," Teddy ran his fingers over the small little purple ones starting to bloom from the soil.

"Yes, my lovey, beautiful flowers," Hermione declared, and Teddy tugged her hair gently.

"Mum, I love you," he murmured with a smile and Hermione blushed lightly.

It was unusual for the boy to call her anything but his Mione, but it also wasn't surprising. Remus was intelligent, and so was Nymphadora, it would only make sense that their son picked up everything.

"A good day to be enjoying the grass," Andromeda declared as she was approaching.

"Very good indeed," Hermione replied, and Teddy waved at his grandmother.

The older witch sat down next to Hermione near the wall of the garden and sighed, "Sometimes I see her face in his. Other times I see that silly boyish charm of Remus."

Hermione giggled gently and let the boy off her lap, "He is so very endearing, I love that boy with all my heart."

Teddy was following a small yellow butterfly around the walkway all the way to the gate where he looked off to the field, "So many but-flies!" he remarked as they danced in the sun.

"I know that you plan on marrying them. Remus and I talked about it extensively. I also know that you are planning on raising Teddy, a boy deserves a mother and father. I just hope that when you do indeed make the move official, you bring my darling grandchild to see me." Her voice was soft, making Hermione gasp.

"We would never leave you out of his life, Andromeda. He needs someone connected to his mother's side and the spoiling that Remus cannot do as his father would have to come from you."

The older witch embraced Hermione with her arm, "You are a very compassionate girl, Hermione. You will do him justice as his mother. I do not doubt that Teddy will want for nothing."

"He will still need someone to spoil him. He will also need his grandmother to teach him of his mother and eventually why his father and I have to send him here once a month."

Andromeda's face expressed mild surprise, "You will be joining them every month? What about your children?"

Hermione chewed her lip before answering, "I want to wait a long while before children of my own. Remus and Sirius know that I do. Teddy is our priority, and while I work, he will be with his dad and uncle."

The older witch gave her a small nod, "Edward, come sit and leave the grasshopper alone," she told the boy who was jumping behind the little bug trying to get away.

"Silly hopper! Jumps so high!" He raised his hands in the air as he raced over. "Mum, look!" he pointed to the grasshopper jumping away.

Andromeda hid a smile as Hermione blushed and nodded, "Very brilliant, Teddy."

"On your way, dear. You will be his favorite witch before too long. I hope you know what that entails."

Hermione scooped the child up and kissed him, "Luckily I have your Grandmother to teach me the best ways to be a mum, huh?"

Teddy gave her a motion of agreement, "Yep!"

"Trills," Remus called out as he entered the garden.

Sirius soon followed, and Teddy leaped from Hermione's lap, "Uncle Puppy! Daddy!"

"Oh, you are just getting too big!" Remus exclaimed as he picked up his son.

Sirius ran his fingers through the little boy's hair and smirked, "Did you get into any trouble?"

"Lots! I saw but-flies!"

"Butt flies? Sounds to be a terrible sight!" Sirius teased, and the boy tilted his head.

"Butterflies are lovely," Remus murmured as he walked over to the witches.

Remus set the boy down and kissed Hermione, "How was work?" she murmured as they parted.

"Very eventful, George was so impressed with sales he is talking about opening another branch," Remus told her and moved over to Andromeda.

He kissed her cheek, and the older witch patted his shoulder, "It is good to see you smiling, Remus."

Sirius turned into the giant dog and barked at the child who launched himself into a full run after the canine. They found that the child enjoyed playing with them as dogs as much as their original selves. Hermione admired how excellent he was as an uncle and silently wondered if he would do that with his children too… it was more than likely.

"Another branch? Where?" Hermione finally joined the conversation again.

Remus smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders, "The only place he could see making money during school time."

"Hogsmeade?" Hermione inquired, and Remus nodded.

"Ron was talking about helping George in the main store, and we would get the second one."

Alarm bells went off in her mind, "Wait, why would George want Ron to work with him?"

The werewolf's face grew stern as he cleared his throat, "Georgie isn't doing as well as he seems regarding Fred. Sirius and I both agreed to help him expand if he had help at the store. We would have a meeting once a week to stay on the same page. Sirius and I would switch off days and work Hogsmeade weekends together."

Andromeda clapped gently, "That sounds fantastic, Remus."

"What did he think of your Patronus in a box?" Hermione asked, and Remus grinned boyishly.

"He loved it; we decided on eight different figures to place in the boxes randomly at first."

The older witch frowned, "How does that work?"

"Well, Hermione suggested placing a small wispy animal that would resemble Patronus magic in the box. It may not do the same but will give off the feeling of happiness as it roams the room. They last about two minutes."

Sirius trotted over and started licking Hermione's face, "Enough, Pads!" she giggled pushing the dog.

He turned into himself and sat on her lap, making Hermione grimace in discomfort, "Hello beautiful. Are you and my cousin enjoying the weather?"

Hermione groaned while trying to hide her smile, "How am I going to explain you to my parents?"

Andromeda leaned closer to her, "Hopefully they have a liquor cabinet. I suggest a drink or two before my cousin gets comfortable."

Remus chuckled and shook his head, "Absolutely mental, Padfoot."

Sirius maneuvered his fingers into her curly hair, "Well, your work is cut out for you, love. Harry had us come help them move."

Hermione frowned and glanced at her two Marauders, "You met my parents without me?"

They nodded, and Remus hemmed, "Well, we had to convince them that we were right for you. Sweetened them up a bit by moving them into their house and then told them about us. Grant it, your dad was not easily convinced, but they came around in the end."

Hermione was scowling deeply, and Sirius leaned to her, "Don't be angry with us, Trills. We wanted to make sure they knew we just wanted your happiness. If you were there, it would have been difficult to explain it without you feeling nervous."

"And my father was alright with you two? You didn't put a charm on him or hex him?" She said cynically, and Remus shook his head.

"We had to give him the skinny on everything outside of the bedroom. Harry helped as best he could, but it truly came down to what happened at the Burrow before Christmas. He was impressed that we did not leave your side." Sirius murmured and ran fingers through her hair.

"So, they know about Teddy as well?"

"Mum, look!" Teddy shouted and pointed at the big dragonfly that swooped near them before taking off.

The marauders froze, and Hermione blushed lightly before answering, "That one was pretty. It looked like it was blue."

"You are officially mum now?" Remus questioned timidly.

"I didn't tell him to start calling me that, he just did," Hermione had an edging of defensive in her voice.

Andromeda leaned forward a bit, "Maybe you should bring Teddy with you today. It might soften the whole experience if they get to meet him."

Hermione's feelings were very cloudy as the Marauders had to deal with the back and forth of emotions she was going through. This whole thing made it very real and potent, which Remus could sense was a scary thing for the young witch.

"I think that would be great. Mrs. Granger seemed very interested in meeting Teddy," Remus offered, and Hermione exhaled.

"Alright, that might be-" She was interrupted by Sirius snagging her lips in a very heated kiss.

If there was anything Sirius Black was sure of, it was that he could not bear feeling her reluctance. He needed her just as much as Remus did, but he was never the logical, patient one. It was heated anxiety-ridden kiss, which made Hermione tenderly cup his cheeks in her hands. "Sirius," she whispered as they parted.

"Yes, love?"

"I promise you; I am not going anywhere, alright?" Her voice was calm and gentle.

He nodded and pulled himself off her lap, sitting close to her side, "As long as you promise."

"We are going to bring Teddy with us, and you are not going to fret," Remus commanded the situation, and Hermione smiled up at him.

"Okay, Moony."

Teddy bounced into Sirius lap and smirked, "Uncle Sirius, we go bye now?"

Hermione frowned, and Sirius snickered, "What, you don't think I didn't already know we were going to bring Teddy with us?"

"You both planned to already?"

Remus gave her a small nod with a guilty expression, "Your mother and father insisted on meeting my son."

Hermione stood up and frowned, "Next time, it would be nice if you both just told me. Let's go pack up your things, Teddy Bear." Hermione held out her hand, and the boy jumped up and took it. "Sometimes your dad and Uncle Sirius are too much," she grumbled to him as they walked back to the house.

"Well, at least she isn't angry," Sirius declared with a shrug.

The werewolf rubbed his face and sighed, "Hopefully it goes smooth tonight."

0o0o

Hermione was sitting across from her parents while the marauders sat on the floor with Teddy. They had brought his animals to play with so it would be easier for the child to meet his soon to be grandparents. The witch had just finished speaking about the war, and it caused her two fiancés to cringe and look physically anguished by her careful explanation. Melissa and Winston did not interrupt, they listened and held each other close.

When Hermione finished explaining about her last year of school and how Remus and Sirius showed up, that was when her mother held up a finger, "So they just popped in? They told us that was not normal, but how unusual is it?"

Hermione chewed her lip and scowled, "I like to think I am well versed in enchantments and I couldn't find anything anywhere about it. It has to be magic like a timeturner, but why Hogwarts and why 1999? I couldn't figure it out."

Her father gave her a small smile, "Some things are just not explainable, darling. As much as I dislike the fact that you sent us off so that we wouldn't get hurt, I am so glad to be back."

"Mum, look tiger!" Teddy announced as he held up the small striped cat.

Hermione smiled at him, "Outstanding, Teddy."

"So, he calls you mum?" Her mother asked carefully.

"I don't care if he calls her turnip, that boy is adorable," Mr. Granger declared, and the child stood up.

Hermione glanced between the marauders and Remus gave her a nod, "Son, go say a proper hello." Remus whispered to the boy and pointed to the Grangers.

Teddy gave him a nod and grabbed a giraffe off the ground before walking over. "Here," he said and handed a figure to each of them.

"Will you come sit with us?" Melissa asked the child who smiled widely.

They helped him up on the couch, and he clapped, "Yay!"

The two of them melted and started to dote on the boy, "Are you going to come visit more often?" Winston asked, turning to the werewolf on the ground.

He was shocked at the quick acceptance, "Yes, of course. Hermione would want it no other way."

"You have to bring the cutest little guy this side of the world," Melissa murmured, and Hermione stifled a giggle.

"You both are going to spoil him," she declared, and they nodded with enthusiasm.

"We were skeptical at first, I was completely against this," her father paused and pointed at the two wizards climbing on the other couch. "But, there are things we don't understand in this world. There are even things in our world that I don't quite wrap my head around. I am not thrilled that you have a complex relationship, but if they take care of my daughter, at the end of the day, I have no right to prevent your happiness."

"I have some books on child development if you would like to take them home," Hermione's mother offered, and the young witch blushed.

"We haven't moved him in yet; he still is living with his grandmother. She felt it was important that we find our footing before Teddy coming to live with us."

Mrs. Granger waved and scoffed, "Tosh, he needs his family. If you need any help with him, let us know."

Winston raised a finger and pointed it at his daughter, "No more children for a while, Hermione. I am not telling you what to do with your life, only giving you a fair warning. No one is prepared for raising a child. It is just something you learn as you go. Don't make it harder for yourself."

Sirius smirked and shrugged his shoulders, "Oh darn, I was hoping I would be next."

Remus nudged him, and Hermione groaned, "Sirius, don't tease him. They know very well my stance on any more right now, dad. Thank you for your concern."

The male animagus was not done, "What do you think? A year maybe eighteen months? A fair pace between the two and then we can have some mischief at Hogwarts," he finished with a bright smile, but Hermione glared at him.

It was if the boy could sense the tension, because he took the tiger from Melissa and held it up before exclaiming, "Roar!"

"You are such a patient gentleman, how about we get you some dinner?" Melissa questioned the child who clapped.

"Yes!"

She picked him up and walked away toward the kitchen, "You can come to grandma and grandpa's house anytime you like." She was telling him as they disappeared into the dining room.

"Well, he is the most loved child in all of Europe," Hermione giggled, and Remus gave her a nod.

"Most definitely. I don't think he has made a bad impression on anyone."

Sirius grinned and turned to Mr. Granger who hemmed, "Sirius, does that make you uncomfortable? Out of curiosity about your dynamic."

The Black barked a stream of laughter and shook his head, "No, not at all. I love Teddy as if he were my own, that's what this is about. Remus and I have been friends since we were in school, best mates and eventually pack mates. It is hard to understand, but we find a good balance between what is ours, mine and his." He paused and tilted his head, "Plus, I get all the perks and none of the fallback. I don't have to be disciplinary."

"That's because you need one yourself," Hermione sneered, and Remus covered up a chuckle.

"Dinner is ready," Melissa called out.

"Dinner!" Teddy repeated with as much enthusiasm, creating a silly smile on the marauders and Hermione's face.

"How long do you think he will repeat everything?" Sirius questioned, apparently a plan started to brew.

"I will not let you teach him to say something rude to Molly, Sirius," Hermione growled, and the Black chortled.

"Just something small?"

Remus shook his head with a smile, "No, Pads, we cannot make her angry after last weekend."

"I just flung cupcakes across the room, she just needs to learn to take a joke," he grumbled, and they all maneuvered into the dining room for dinner.

 **In the darkness in front of an Enormous building in the middle of nowhere….**

Several sets of papers were flying about in a small wind flurry. It showed a curly-haired witch between two wizards smiling as they walked down the street. The pages flew about, but the figure was standing with a cloak waving behind them lifted their hands.

"Time we find a few friends," a feminine voice murmured and a flick of her wand, made the building crumble.

Before any sounding of alarms or ward could announce the breach, several figures were able to disappear in a puff of black smoke and scale the building. The character started to turn and walk from whence she came from when someone landed in front of her.

"Sister, long time no see," Amycus growled, and she tossed him a wand.

"I am glad to see you are out. Come, brother, we have work to do." Alecto declared and handed him the Daily Prophet.

"Time travel?" he questioned after reading it swiftly.

"Time travel. We need to make a visit to Lucius," she murmured, and they walked away from the damaged building and outside of the wards.


End file.
